PACO: the robot that decides who deserves an AI scholarship

Published on May 25, 2026 | Translated from Spanish

A new humanoid named PACO has arrived to shake up the academic world. Developed by a team of researchers, this robot not only grants scholarships to graduates in robotics and artificial intelligence, but also evaluates projects and practical skills. Its goal is clear: to foster education and innovation, but with a touch of automation that promises to change the rules of the game.

Humanoid robot PACO reviewing a student’s robotics project on a holographic interface, robotic hand pointing at a 3D AI model while analyzing code on a transparent screen, engineering blueprints and neural network diagrams floating nearby, action of evaluation in progress, cinematic technical illustration, sleek metallic humanoid with glowing blue joints, soft cool lighting from holograms, photorealistic engineering visualization, high detail on actuators and sensors, dramatic academic lab atmosphere

An evaluator with sensors and algorithms 🤖

PACO integrates computer vision, natural language processing, and decision-making systems based on neural networks. Its design allows for real-time interviews, analyzing responses, gestures, and tone of voice to assess technical skills. Additionally, it examines prototypes and codes submitted by candidates, comparing them with databases of successful projects. The system operates without direct human intervention, using predefined criteria to select scholarship recipients.

PACO: the judge that never sleeps and doesn't ask for coffee ☕

Students are already wondering if bringing an apple to the robot will improve their chances, or if they can bribe it with a USB cable. In tests, PACO rejected a candidate for using an infinite loop in their code, which generated memes about its sense of humor. At least, unlike human evaluators, it doesn't complain about traffic or ask about weekend plans. Bureaucracy, at last, has its first official without a coffee break.